Semiconductor wafers (to be referred to simply as wafers hereafter) are typically subjected to processing steps that involve transferring by a loading station between fabrication facilities. For example, semiconductor wafers are stored in a wafer cassette having a cassette door to secure the wafers and avoid damage during transferring. At each processing location, it is necessary to open the cassette door such that the wafers can be unloaded into the processing system. Conventionally, the cassette door is manually open/close and unloaded the wafers by a human operator. In modern fabrication facilities, a great emphasis is placed on limiting the presence of human operators in the processing zone. Accordingly, a need exists for loading stations that can automatically open/close the cassette door and unload the wafers to minimize contamination and labor requirements.